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THE CLAUSE A main clause sometimes called an independent clause must contain a subject and a verb, as well as express a complete thought. Examples: Mary kicked the ball. Mary = the subject kicked = the verb A giant spider has made its home behind the toy box in Neil’s bedroom. Spider = the subject has made = verb Here are 4 types of common Clauses: main (independent) subordinate (dependent) relative (adjective) noun Main Clauses Every main clause will follow this pattern: Subject + Verb = Complete Thought Here are some examples: Lazy students complain. students = subject | complain = verb Water spilled over the glass and splashed onto the counter. Water = subject | spilled, splashed = verbs My dog loves apples. dog = subject | loves = verb The important point to remember is that every sentence must have at least one main clause. Otherwise, you will have a fragment. Subordinate Clauses Subordinate clauses will follow this pattern: Subordinate Conjunction + Subject + Verb = Incomplete Thought Here are some examples: Whenever lazy students complain Whenever = subordinate conjunction | students = subject | complain = verb As water spilled over the glass and splashed onto the counter As = subordinate conjunction | water = subject | spilled, splashed = verbs Because my dog loves apples Because = subordinate conjunction | dog = subject | loves = verb A subordinate clause can never stand alone as a complete sentence. To complete the thought, you must attach each subordinate clause to a main clause. The punctuation follows the pattern below: Subordinate Clause +, + Main Clause. These are some revisions to the subordinate clauses above: Whenever lazy students complain, Mrs. Russell throws chalk erasers at their heads. Anthony ran for the paper towels as water spilled over the glass and splashed onto the counter. Because my dog loves apples, he waits patiently when I stop at the market. Relative Clauses Relative clauses will begin with relative pronouns [such as who, whom, whose, which, or that] or relative adverbs [when, where, or why]. The patterns look like this: Relative Pronoun (or Relative Adverb) + Subject + Verb = Incomplete Thought Relative Pronoun + Verb = Incomplete Thought Here are some examples: Whom Mrs. Peters hit in the head with a ruler Whom = relative pronoun | Mrs. Peters = subject | hit = verb When he chews and chews with great enthusiasm When = relative adverb | he = subject | chews, chews = verbs That had spilled over the glass and splashed onto the counter That = relative pronoun | had spilled, splashed = verbs Who loves apples Who = relative pronoun | loves = verb Like subordinate clauses, relative clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences. You must connect them to main clauses to finish the thought. Look at these revisions of the relative clauses above: The lazy students whom Mrs. Peters hit in the head with a ruler soon learned to keep their complaints to themselves. (Mrs. Peters was shortly fired.) My dog Floyd, who loves apples, eats them under the kitchen table, where he chews and chews with great enthusiasm. Anthony ran to get paper towels for the water that had spilled over the glass and splashed onto the counter. To punctuate a relative clause you have to decide if the relative clause is essential or nonessential and then use commas accordingly. Essential relative clauses do not require commas. A relative clause is essential when you need the information it provides. Look at this example: A dog that eats too many apples will soon develop strong teeth. Dog is non-specific. To know which dog we are talking about, we must have the information in the relative clause. Thus, the relative clause is essential and requires no commas. Noun Clauses Any clause that functions as a noun becomes a noun clause. Noun clauses generally begin with which, who, whoever, when, where, whether, whichever, those. Look at this example: You really do not want to know the ingredients in grandma’s soup. ingredients = noun You really do not want to know what grandma adds to her soup. what grandma adds to her soup = noun clause Sources: http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/clause.htm Developed by: The Communications Centre/ Nancy Solano / February 2008